5 Stages Of Childhood

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It's Fun For A Girl Or A Boy!

What walks down stairs, alone or in pairs

and makes a slinkity sound?

A spring, a spring, a marvelous thing!

Everyone knows it's Slinky.

It's Slinky, it's Slinky,

It's fun, it's a wonderful toy.

It's Slinky, it's Slinky, it's fun,

It's a wonderful toy.

It's fun for a girl or a boy.

Sesame Street Turns 40

Yesterday was Sesame Street's 40th anniversary. And since I'm 42 years old, Sesame Street is the show I identify most with my childhood. In fact, I'm almost positive that everything I ever needed to know I learned from Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood and Schoolhouse Rock.

I LOVED the entire cast ... Bob, Gordon, Maria ... and ESPECIALLY Luis, the Handyman (below)...


Aye, Papi!

I also loved Oscar the Grouch. His song, I Love Trash, became the anthem that will forever describe my dating life...

Does anyone remember THIS song, which was first shown on Sesame Street in 1969 - and later became the very first song performed on The Muppet Show? Here is the original Sesame Street version...

However, there WERE a couple of things that pissed me off about Sesame Street as a child. First of all, HOW IN THE HELL DID NOBODY SEE SNUFFLELUPAGUS (except Big Bird) UNTIL 1985?!? That drove me INSANE as a child.


And, finally, I never liked the annoying Count Von Count. Math was never my thing...


Happy Anniversary Sesame Street!

Childhood Memories: Japanese TV Shows

On Monday I took a personal trip down memory lane with a POST about two of my fave childhood TV series - Shazam! and The Secrets of Isis. Well, today I'm doing it again. So if you have absolutely no interest in cheesy Japanese children shows about robots and aliens from the 1960's - then you may want to skip this post.

All three of these shows were produced in Japan and then had English dubbed over the Japanese dialogue. This sometimes made the English dialogue hysterical, although I didn't realize it as a child. I was too mesmerized by the storylines and ... cough cough ... the "special effects".

First up is Ultraman. Ultraman was created in 1966 by the same people who created the original Godzilla movies, so they always featured some dude in a monster suit (sometimes a spray-painted Godzilla suit) wrecking the hell out of a model of Tokyo. And as you will see in the clip below, the fight scenes are kinda funny - with mocking, water-splashing and even tickling between Ultraman and the monster...

But Ultraman used to give me a damn heart attack every time I watched it as a kid. Ya see, Ultraman needed the Sun's rays to survive (or somesuch), and for whatever reason he couldn't get enough on Earth. So after a little bit of fighting with the monster of the day, Ultraman's "warning light" would start blinking (like an overheating car engine). And if Ultraman didn't wrap things up and high-tail it outta there he would die. And EVERY episode I was convinced Ultraman was going to bite the big one. I guess I was a childhood pessimist.

Next up is The Space Giants. This was a show about a Japanese kid who had this whistle thingy that could summon three robots who could turn into rockets: Goldar (Daddy robot), Silvar (Mama robot), and Gam (Kid robot).

I totally wished I was that little boy with the whistle. I so wanted to summon my fierce robot/rocket friends anytime I had trouble with a classmate or when Mama Bunny got on my nerves.

Finally, we have my favorite - Johnny Sokko and His Giant Robot. Johnny controlled the Giant Robot by talking into his Timex watch. And the Robot obeyed all Johnny's commands. Plus, Robot had some fierce Vogue moves he used when he was fighting the evil Guillotine and his minions - and he also had fingernails which turned into missiles...

Giant Robot was like a fierce metallic SUPER DRAG QUEEN! But the saddest day of my childhood came when those bastards KILLED THE GIANT ROBOT. I cried when I watched this clip again while doing this post - almost as hard as I did as a kid ...

Yes, I know I'm old - but that's what us old people do ... talk about "the olden days" and about fierce Japanese dragbots...

The Shazam!/Isis Hour

Dlisted recently reminded me about two of my favorite childhood Saturday Morning TV shows - Shazam! and The Secrets of Isis.


Shazam! came first (in 1974) - and it starred the incredibly cute Michael Gray (above). I might have been too young to know the reason why - but I NEVER wanted to miss seeing Michael and his tights-wearing, muscular alter-ego - Captain Marvel (who was played by some beefy dude).

Then in 1975 the show became The Shazam!/Isis Hour when it combined with spinoff The Secrets of Isis for one big gay hour of children's television.

As a child, I could never decide if I liked Shazam! or Isis better. Shazam! had the hotties, but Isis had the fierce jewels and outfits. If they just would have figured out a way for Michael Gray to wear Isis's glamorous headpiece and mini-skirt, it would have been gayperfect.

Three Mile Island

Yesterday marked the 30-year anniversary of the partial meltdown at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant - the worst nuclear power accident in U.S. history.

30 years ago I was in 6th grade at Stevens Elementary School in Carlisle, PA - 21 miles away from Three Mile Island. I don't remember much about the incident (the adults downplayed the danger), but I do remember that we weren't allowed out for recess, and the teachers kept the classroom windows closed. Because if the reactor melted down we would have been COMPLETELY safe indoors with the windows shut. Or something like that.

Throughout the crisis, officials never ordered an evacuation because they were afraid of causing a panic. My dad worked in Harrisburg (the state capital) which was just 10 miles away from T.M.I. - and I remember him talking about co-workers who left the area immediately. I also remember my parents talking to my brother and I about the possibility leaving in case things got worse. I guess we would have gone to Texas to live with my grandparents, but ultimately we stayed put. And eventually we were allowed to go outside for recess at school again.

When I go visit my family back in Central Pennsylvania I always take the Amtrak train. And right before the train arrives in Harrisburg (my destination), I always look to my left to see the four cooling towers of Three Mile Island which loom over the Susquehanna River.

In 1985 the undamaged unit went back online - and is still operating today. That is why now you only see steam coming from 2 of the towers - the damaged unit has been decommissioned.

Memories of Childhood...

I kid, I kid. Actually, my parents never left me alone in a bar ... they brought my little brother along to keep me company.